I was so happy with your reactions to the last chapter. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. And special shoutout to all the guest reviewers that I unfortunately cannot respond to!

I don't want to spoil the content of the chapter here, so I am going to write something more at the end of the chapter.

I'm running from nothing, no thoughts in my mind
Oh my heart was all black
But I saw something shine

Thought that part was yours, but it might just be mine
I could share it with you, if you gave me the time
I'm all bloody knuckles, longing for home
If it weren't for second chances, we'd all be alone

As It Is In Heaven
Chapter 22 – "Second Chances"

Sheldon felt as if he was flying, as he walked the short distance from Amy's home.

He was so happy to finally spend time with her again. And he still felt high from kissing her.

Granted, there was still a lot of work ahead of them, but for now, he just couldn't stop smiling.

Until…

"Well, now that was some kiss!"

Sheldon cringed as he closed the front door behind him and saw both his siblings sitting on the couch by the window.

"Don't you guys have anything better to do than spy on me?", he exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, Sheldon.", George said grinning. "We're just rooting for you and Amy."

"Yeah.", Missy agreed. "And it's not an everyday occurrence, seeing you try and win over a woman. It's like going to the zoo, hoping the koalas are awake for once."

Sheldon had to grin a little bit of that. He always liked a good koala reference.

"Plus, we thought she was out with some guy.", his brother pointed out. "I was watching over you, Sheldon, in case he'd get mad at you for hitting on his date."

"It's kind of funny, you both thought she was on a date.", Missy added. "If only I had been there when Amy was being picked up. I would have recognized Greg right away."

Sheldon huffed. Yes, that would have been really helpful.

"So, are you two back together now?", Missy asked excitedly.

He sighed and sat down.

"It's too early to tell. For now, Amy has agreed to go on one date with me."

His sister squealed and hugged him tightly while Georgie patted him on the back.

It was one of the first times in his life when he really enjoyed being in such close proximity to both his siblings.

Even though they were nosy, it was nice, having them on his side.

"So, since this is an area where the two of you have more experience than I do…", he started hesitantly. It was not easy, asking for help. But he only had this one shot and he wanted to do it right. "Where do I take her? How do I behave? Should I ask her what she wants to do? Or do I surprise her? What do women like?"

He could see his siblings exchanging looks.

"I leave that one to you, Georgie.", Missy finally decided. "My track record with relationships is not the best after all and it has been a while since I've been on a proper date."

"My track record isn't the best either.", Georgie shrugged. "But Sheldon, you have an advantage. You know Amy really well. I am sure you know how she likes to spend her evenings."

"Yes, but we never dated. This is different.", Sheldon argued. "Amy has experience with this. I have not. What will she expect? Flowers? Dinner? What do people usually do on a first date? I need this to work."

"Sheldon, I know you won't like hearing this.", his brother told him. "But do not overthink it. Before the attack, you and Amy were already acting like a couple. You were at ease with each other. Flowers and dinner, or maybe a movie, are always a safe option, but don't forget, Amy chose you. Not any of the guys who took her out before. There is a reason for that. So, be yourself and just do something you both can enjoy. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with each other."

Sheldon sighed.

Who would have thought, getting Amy to agree would be the easy part.

Do not overthink it.

How could he not? His brother made it sound easy but he had no idea how to plan a date night that would both impress Amy and be something where he would feel comfortable?

"Georgie… will you help me?", he asked carefully. He couldn't remember ever asking Georgie for help. But this time, he had no other option. "Once I have an idea, do you think I can run it by you?"

His brother looked at him strangely, but then his lips formed a bright smile.

"Of course. I'll do my best to help you.", he promised sincerely.

The next days passed faster than Sheldon would have liked.

Next to working on his theories and writing arrangements for the choir, he now had a new white board set up, with the headline: "Possible Date Night Ideas".

Unfortunately, that's all there was. After racking his brain for ideas, he hadn't really come up with anything special.

On Monday afternoon he was almost ready to give up and just settle on having dinner and going to see a movie.

His mood lifted when he walked across the street.

"Sheldon.", Amy greeted him surprised after he had knocked at her door. "Is something wrong? I was just getting ready for choir practice."

"That's why I'm here.", he nodded. "I thought we could walk there together. Like we used to do."

For a second, he was afraid, she could send him away.

But her expression softened, and she smiled at him.

"Let me just grab my coat."

He sighed deeply as she went inside to do as she said.

That was a successful first step on his quest to regain what they had.

It was a little awkward at first. They mainly talked about the competition that would be happening in Los Angeles a little less than three months from now.

Most of the program was finalized by now, but he still felt, something was missing. Something special to set them apart from the other, more experienced choirs.

"Have you considered the song you wrote for Missy?", Amy asked hesitantly. "I mean, it is pretty great. And apart from her and me, no one has heard it yet."

He pondered it. This had been his plan initially. However...

"Do you think she would want to sing it?", he asked her. "Won't it bring back bad memories of what she went through?"

"I don't think so.", she shook her head. "Maybe it would even be freeing for her, singing that particular song on stage. But you should ask her."

They walked in silence for a bit, while Sheldon thought about it.

His song at a national competition? It flattered him that Amy thought it was good enough. In his head he started arranging the song. Maybe Amy could play the harp to it.

Amy played the harp. She loved music. It was one of the first things they had bonded over.

He smiled as he finally had his first faint idea for their date night on Thursday.

The choir practice turned out to be very pleasant. Maybe one of the best so far.

Or maybe he was just in a good mood because everything seemed better, now that he had Amy back in his life.

The only thing that made him sad was that Ruth and Daniel both weren't present. He hadn't heard from either of them ever since Daniel had professed his love for Ruth and he was slowly beginning to worry about them.

Later, when they gathered around the table as they usually did, he raised his eyebrows at Amy and pointed at the seat next to her, asking for permission to sit, which she granted him with a genuine smile.

"Finally.", Jeremy exclaimed as he saw them sitting next to each other, and everyone started clapping.

He could feel his cheeks heat up and he could see that Amy was grinning a little uncomfortably. Was their relationship, or rather the state of it, really that interesting to the other members?

Afterwards, he walked Amy home again and even if it still felt a little more tense than he would have liked, they started to slowly fall back into the way they used to be able to talk before.

For a short moment, as they were saying good-bye, he wished they could spend the evening together at her place, like they always used to do all those months ago.

But she did not offer, and he did not dare to ask.

'Baby steps.', he told himself.

"We're still on for our date on Thursday, right?", he asked before they parted ways.

"Sure.", she confirmed. "May I ask what we will be doing? So, I know how to dress?"

"I'm still finishing the details. I don't drive, which makes it all a little more difficult.", he admitted.

"I can drive.", she offered. "Maybe it would be better if we went someplace outside of Medford. Since everyone here seems to be so invested in what's happening between us."

He nodded in agreement. That thought had crossed his mind too.

On Tuesday, he resumed planning their date.

It had to be something connected to music. But what? A concert? And if so, what kind of concert?

He wanted it to be something that proved to her that he knew her and reminded her of how much they had in common.

He used his eidetic memory to go through every conversation they had since they met, while also browsing the internet for events in the area.

And finally, he had it. It was perfect.

He spent the afternoon securing tickets, researching the best route to drive, looking up restaurants that were close to their destination and making a few reservations.

He initially had no plans for Wednesday, but then Georgie called him to ask if he still needed help and after pondering it for a while, he decided to go visit his brother at his office.

Unexpectedly, he ended up having a good time there. Who knew the tire business could actually be interesting?

Georgie gave him lots of advice for his date the next day. Things he had not thought of, like 'Let Missy pick out your outfit' or 'Make sure to open her car door for her and pull out her chair at the restaurant – chicks dig that stuff'.

It was nice, having a brother who cared about him. But for a second, he couldn't help but wish it were Leonard, giving him advice for his first date and Penny picking out his outfit.

You need them, Sheldon. And I think they need you too.

Was this another thing, his meemaw was right about? He would have to look into that. But first he had to focus on Amy.

Finally, Thursday came, and Sheldon woke up with a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It was a restless feeling. A mix of looking forward to spending all evening with Amy and being worried she could decide she did not want to keep going out with him after that.

He was afraid, he could do or say something wrong. Something that would push her away. And he felt pressure, so much pressure.

This was it. His one chance to prove himself to her. To show her, he was serious and to get them back on track. At least enough so she would agree to keep giving him a chance.

He spent the day trying to distract himself. Trying to calm himself down.

"It's going to be fine, Shelly.", Missy tried to reassure him, when she took him to the florist. "Just be yourself. You mean so much to her. And even if Amy is hurt right now, just trust in the fact that she wants this to work just as much as you do."

Oh, he hoped his sister was right.

His mother did not say anything at first. She probably still had a hard time, getting used to seeing him getting ready for a date.

But then, she did make him tea and when she brought it to him, she patted his shoulder encouragingly.

"You're a fine man, my son.", she told him. "Amy knows that already. You don't have to push yourself so hard. Everything will work out just fine if you just believe in yourself."

She left the room then, but Sheldon had to swallow away a lump in his throat. She had basically given him her blessing just now, and even if he hadn't asked her for it, it meant a lot to him that his mother was supporting him.

An hour later, he found himself standing on Amy's porch, dressed in a new set of black pants, a light grey buttoned up shirt and a black leather jacket that Missy had made Georgie loan him for the occasion.

He breathed in deeply before he knocked at the door.

And then, his heart jumped in his chest as Amy opened the door.

He always found her pretty, not matter how she was dressed. But tonight, she was breathtaking.

She was wearing a black skirt that reached calves, and while it wasn't too tight, it did nothing to hide the soft curves of her body. A light green blouse accentuated the darker green of her eyes and instead of her usual cardigan, she just wore a brown, form-fitting jacket that showed off her hourglass figure.

"Uhm…", he said and swallowed deeply. "You… you look nice."

She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you, Sheldon. You're very handsome yourself. Are these for me?"

She pointed at the flowers he was grasping in his hands.

It was a small bouquet, colorful like the ones he had so often seen in her home. A mix of tulips, daffodils and paperwhites. Missy had picked it out and assured him, she would love it.

"Yes. Yes, of course they are for you.", he replied quickly and handed them to her, although now he did not know what to do with his hands anymore.

This was ridiculous. Why was he so nervous?

She excused herself to put them into a vase and was back outside less than two minutes later, but it was enough for him to take a deep breath. This was a good start. Maybe it would all work out.

They walked to her car then, and Sheldon opened the door to the driver's seat for her. She smiled at him fondly when he did that. One point for Georgie, he guessed.

"Alright, now where are we going?", she asked as she started the car.

"Tyler.", Sheldon responded. "We are going to see 'Harry Potter in Concert'. Uhm... If it's all right with you I mean. I remembered you once told me you are a fan, and I am too. They are showing the movie but instead of playing the music track, they have a live orchestra playing it. The reviews say that it is very interesting to watch."

He looked at her expectantly. Would she hate it?

But she turned to him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Oh Sheldon, I love that! I've been wanting to see it for years, but no one was ever interested. I knew they were coming here to East Texas, but I did not want to go alone. How did you know? How did you come up with something this perfect?"

He gulped. Oh, he loved it when she smiled at him like this. All he could think of was pulling her into his arms and kissing her senseless.

"Well, it was a lucky guess.", he said hoarsely.

They drove for a bit more than half an hour and after a while, they found themselves caught up in a riveting conversation about the 'Harry Potter'-universe.

"We should do a movie marathon some time.", he suggested. "My friends and I used to have them all the time. We could dress up and have themed snacks."

She turned to him. "Sounds good.", she whispered, and he was already looking forward to it.

By the time they arrived at their location, they had already discussed their favorite characters, debated which was the best book of the series and done several online tests that told them things like which character was the most similar to them or which house they would get sorted into.

They had laughed too. A lot. It was so good to hear her laugh again. To see her genuinely happy. He had missed this so much.

"You know, I've always wanted to go to Wizarding World.", she admitted after a while. "But I never had the time, and I haven't been in the area for years."

"We could go together.", he suggested spontaneously. "We will be in Los Angeles in a few months. If you want, we could fly out sooner, spend a few days in my apartment in Pasadena and go to Wizarding World from there."

As soon as he said it, he wanted to take it back.

It was much too forward to ask her this on a first date. He was practically suggesting a mini vacation with her in his apartment. She must be thinking he was crazy. Or that he thought, he had already won her over again.

But when he finally dared to look at her, he saw her smiling.

"Maybe.", she said softly, while focusing on the road ahead of her. "Let's keep it in mind for now."

He released the breath he was holding. So, he hadn't ruined things yet. Good.

Once in Tyler, Sheldon told Amy about their dinner options. To his pleasant surprise, she did not pick one of the fancy restaurants on his list but a Grill House that was close to the Concert Hall.

"All of these options sound tempting.", she explained. "But I am really hungry. I'd prefer a tasty burger with some fries. If you're okay with it."

Was he okay with it? He could have kissed her right in front of the restaurant, no matter how many people there were.

Especially since he still felt guilty for her weight loss, so he was thrilled to hear, she had her appetite back.

"So, I've been working on a few new theories lately.", he said sheepishly, as they waited for their order to arrive - after pulling out her chair for her of course, which gained him another beautiful smile.

"You have?", she asked excitedly. "Tell me about it."

His heart burst over with joy, as he told her in detail.

He hadn't told anyone about this, because he knew no one would be interested. But she seemed to soak up every word, even asked a few questions, that led to new ideas in his mind.

"I really missed talking to you.", he finally admitted. "I've been dying to tell you about this for weeks."

"I hope you'll never have to wait weeks to be able to tell me about it, ever again.", she said softly, but the poignant look she gave him spoke volumes.

"I promise I won't.", he whispered, and she nodded and smiled at him again.

The conversation kept flowing from science to music to various hobbies. He told her about his favorite superheroes, and she told him about her favorite books. They never ran out of things to talk about.

With every minute, Sheldon felt more comfortable.

Dating wasn't all that bad. Who knew?

Or maybe it just felt this way, because it was with the right person.

They went to the concert hall then and took their seats. He had to select the tickets online, so he wasn't able to detect the acoustic sweet spot, but Amy seemed to be content with where they sat so he let it go. He would just show her how to do that when he would take her to the movies sometime soon.

The lights were dimmed, the members of the orchestra took their seats on the stage and Sheldon was surprised at how many people in the audience were dressed up as characters from the "Harry Potter"-universe.

Yes, he would definitely have to take Amy to Wizarding World. She would look great in a robe like this.

Sheldon found himself fighting an internal battle and after the initial applause, he turned to Amy.

"Amy, as you know, this is my first date, so I don't know what is expected of me. Am I supposed to hold your hand? Or is this one of the occasions when you pretend to focus on the movie but really just wait until the right moment to start making out? Because I don't really know if I feel comfortable, doing that here."

Amy chuckled.

"Well, Sheldon, I don't think it is appropriate to make out during this. I mean, it is a movie, but it is also a concert. But if you don't mind, I would very much like to hold your hand."

Sheldon sighed relieved.

While he wasn't sure he was a fan of handholding, it did sound less complicated than finding a good position to kiss her in these seats.

So, he reached for her and then rested their joined hands on her leg.

He still wasn't sure what to make of it. Handholding would probably never be his favorite activity. But it seemed to make her happy. And he liked that.

The months he spent writing and arranging sheet music made him form a new appreciation for what was going on in the front on that stage.

Of course he knew the soundtrack to the movie he had seen so often times before. But he had never actually listened to it.

It sounded wonderful. He was mesmerized by it. The nuances. The way the music built up the tension in so many scenes. The emotions.

And then suddenly, just when Harry and his friends made their way to the three-headed dog, something tickled the back of his hand. Rhythmically. Fitting the music perfectly.

He lowered his gaze and smiled as he saw Amy's fingers moving. Strumming on his hand to the sound of the harp solo that was just being played. His eyes shifted to her second hand that was doing the same in the air.

"I… I'm sorry.", she whispered as she noticed him looking at her hand. "It's just… I was so caught up in the music. I was… really getting into it. I did not meant to distract you from the scene. I'll stop now."

"No, don't stop.", he whispered back. "In fact…", he grasped her second hand and rested it on his arm.

She smiled at him for a split second before returning her attention to the harp player.

Now his arm was being strummed by two hands. He couldn't just hear the music like that, he could feel it too. The gentle but firm movements of her soft fingers on his skin. And it affected him much more than what played out on screen.

She shifted closer to him in her seat and when the harp solo was finished, she just stayed that way. One hand in his, the other on his arm. Her head almost resting on his shoulder.

This was more than just nice.

He closed his eyes to enjoy the moment. The music. The atmosphere. The feeling of having her so close.

Oh, how could he ever think he could stay away from her for good?

Once the concert ended and they had to get up, he kept holding her hand. He held it while they walked down the steps of the concert hall and then until they were back at her car.

They talked about the movie on the way home. About how different it was, hearing the music live. And about how impressive it had looked, the way the whole orchestra had been so deeply concentrated on keeping the right timing while also having to convey the same emotions that a perfected, studio-recorded music track did.

Once they arrived at her place, he walked her to her front door.

"So, I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you, Sheldon.", she said as she took out her key.

"I have to thank you.", he responded. "I really enjoyed this. Thank you for agreeing on this date."

She nodded at him, and he thought he could again see a twinge of insecurity in her eyes.

He got it. She still wasn't sure she could trust in this. And he probably deserved this. But he would keep working on making her doubts disappear. If she would let him.

"So…", he cleared his throat. "What do you say? Can I take you out again? Maybe next week? Thursday again? We could go see a movie. Or do something else if you want."

She took a lot of time to answer.

Should he have kissed her first? That was what had gotten her to agree last time, right?

"Amy?", he asked carefully, afraid of her answer.

"Uhm…", she replied.

That was enough. He had to do something. And she had told him, he was allowed to kiss her good night when she had agreed to this date.

Before she could say anything more, he cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers gently.

She gasped in surprise, but she reciprocated at once and put her hands on his shoulders before she kissed him back.

He moved one hand to the back of her head and pulled her as close as humanly possible.

Their mouths moved together urgently. There was so much suppressed passion between them. He knew she felt it too, he could sense it.

Amy pulled away from him then, shaking her head visibly amused.

"You find kissing me funny?", he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"No, it's just…", she sighed. "Sheldon, you know if you do this, you can get me to agree to almost everything, right?"

He grinned cheekily. "I did not know it for sure. But now that I do, I might start using it to my advantage."

She giggled. "Oh, Sheldon. I really enjoyed myself tonight. It's exactly what I needed after all these months. It means so much to me, getting to have you in my life again. But… you seem to have so much power over me."

He shrugged. "Not more than you seem to have over me."

"It's scary.", she admitted.

"It is.", he agreed. "But there's this saying from one of my favorite movies. 'With great power comes great responsibility'."

"And you are ready to take on this responsibility?", she asked and looked at him seriously.

"I think I am.", he said honestly. "Amy, none of this is easy for me and I cannot guarantee that I won't freak out once or twice along the way. But I am trying. I really want this to work."

She breathed out deeply.

"Well… okay then.", she nodded. "The East Texas State Fair starts on Thursday. We could drive to Tyler again, spend the early evening there and then maybe go out for dinner. If you want to."

The State Fair. Not really his favorite place. But it sounded much more comfortable than many of the date options he had thought of. And he remembered the picture of Amy and meemaw from the year before and how happy they had looked.

He could do this for a few hours. And with Amy, he would probably even enjoy himself.

"Alright.", he nodded.

"Now kiss me again.", she demanded.

He was about to argue that she had already gotten her obligatory end-of-the-night kiss.

But he was a genius. So, he did no such thing.

Instead, he pulled her to him and kissed her again sweetly.

Oh, this was good. So, so good.

Over and over, their lips moved together and none of them felt like pulling away this time. She slipped her hands under his leather jacket and let her fingers run over his back similar to how she had strummed his arm earlier.

His heart was hammering away in his chest. Did she not realize what she was doing to him when she touched him like this.

When they finally parted, he saw her eyes gazing at him full of desire.

"I'll better go now.", he mumbled, even if he wanted to do the exact opposite.

"Yeah.", she breathed out and this time, he was glad she did not invite him inside.

Because there was no way he could have denied her.

He wanted to scoop her up and carry her to bed to unleash his passion for her.

And that was exactly why he had to leave.

"Good-bye, Amy. I'll pick you up tomorrow, for choir practice.", he told her, before he kissed her cheek and left.

So, most of you might know that, but just in case some of you don't:

"Harry Potter in Concert" is a real thing, I did not make that up (nor could I have ever invented something this amazing). I did not really find any information, if this kind of thing happens in Texas too, but I know they go on tour pretty much around the globe, so I took the freedom to include it in the story. To me, it just was the best compromise between a traditional first date and something that is typical Shamy. If you want to listen to the harp solo Amy played on Sheldon's arm, it's called "Fluffy's Harp".

Also, I don't know a thing about cities in Texas. Medford is a fictional town, so I had no idea where to place them for their date. I did a bit of research and Tyler fits the purpose of this story the most, because that is where the East Texas State Fair is held (although in reality about 6 months later than it is the case in this story) and they have a decent Symphonic Orchestra so I assume they must have a good concert hall where Sheldon and Amy could have had their first date. If I am completely off and there is something on Young Sheldon that contradicts the possibility of it being located near Tyler, feel free to tell me.

I hope you enjoyed their first date!